by Rachel Ogbu

A Crown Court in Belfast has heard how a priest told a seven-year-old boy in mourning that he could help his dead grandfather enter heaven if he performed a sex act on him.

The boy was told that his grandfather who passed away was still in purgatory and was quite distressed about it. The 55-year-old priest, James Martin Donaghy then told the child “he could get him into heaven if he helped him” before he exposed himself and then forced the boy to perform a sex act.

Donaghy now in Magilligan jail, pleaded guilty to four charges of indecently assaulting the boy and one of common assault against the schoolboy on dates between January and May 1989.

[READ: Disturbing: Teenage boys are paid for sex with clergymen at the Vatican – Pedophile priest reveals ]

News Letter reports:

Following a lengthy trial at the end of 2011 Donaghy was convicted of a total of 17 sex offences including indecent assault and committing acts of gross indecency against three victims and two further charges of serious sexual assault on two of his victims.

Those offences all happened on various dates between 1983 and 2000.

The latest abuse came to light in 2010 when Donaghy’s victim, his fourth, first told his wife and then the church who in turn contacted the police.

Adjourning passing sentence until Friday, Judge Kinney remanded Donaghy back into custody.